00000nam a22000008i 4500 20260913094619.0 260919s2018 ii 00 0 eng d 9789388121033 DS423.J35 2018 954 23 Anuradha Jaiswal Encyclopaedia of Indian Culture (5 Vol. Set) / Anuradha Jaiswal. New Delhi 2018. 240 pages The Medieval Period of Indian History comprises a long period, spanning from 6th century i.e after the fall of the Gupta Empire to the 18th century, i.e the beginning of colonial domination. Modern historians, for the convenience of studying the state and society of medieval India, usually divide the period into Early Medieval Period and Late Medieval Period. According to them the Early Medieval period refer to the phase of Indian history that stretches from the fall of the Gupta Empire to the beginning of the Sultanate period in the 13th century. The period that comprises mainly that of the reigns of the Sultanate and the Mughal period is generally considered as the late medieval period, of course with regional variations. The nature of state in the early medieval period is marked by the presence of a large number of regional and local powers, in the absence of a paramount power in the country. Since the decline of the Gupta Indian polity saw decentralized political fragmentation and rise of various regional states. The state was seen as a sort of administrative or bureaucratic polity suspended above the society. The most important activities of the state were revenue collection and warfare. The government never paid much attention to the welfare of the people in general. The two movements brought a new form of religious expression amongst Muslims and Hindus. The Sufis were mystics who called for liberalism in Islam. They emphasised on an egalitarian society based on universal love. This encyclopaedia analyzes the nature of social forces, complexity of causation and the interdependence of change and continuity in the light of the crucial transition from ancient to early medieval India. Students of History, sociology, political science will find it useful in their study. India—Civilization. REFERENCE / Encyclopedias bisacsh